Riander stared back at his faithful servant, pondering. "So? I'm sure he'll leave if I tell him to leave."
"Unless he puts a spell on you," Danhin insisted.
Riander snorted and rolled his eyes. "You fret too much, Danhin. I can take care of myself, even though you and the council think I'm a helpless brat. I'm not the prince heir anymore and I'm fully grown up. Just because I haven't found a wife doesn't mean my life is not complete."
"Women tend to fill our lives," Danhin said patiently. "And warm our beds. And cook our meals."
"I have servants to cook my meals and courtiers to fill my life with useless concerns. I don't mind sleeping alone. And I have three decades on my shoulders, I'm sick of being treated like when my father was alive!"
"Forgive me, your majesty," Danhin muttered, lowering his eyes.
Riander shook his head and got out of the cooling bath. Why was the world so obsessed with sex? He had better things to do than thinking about sex all day long. He'd had his experiences and didn't really enjoy them – that was why he was in no hurry to marry and breed out of duty.
He wrapped himself in a towel and Danhin shaved him, then helped him to put on clean clothes. King Kariel had provided a blue tunic and light brown breeches while the washerwomen of the castle took care of his hunting garb.
The dinner banquet was even more sumptuous, with a minstrel playing songs and laughter filling the great hall, now fuller with tables and servants. Still, the table on the dais held only the two kings, who observed the rest of the guests, amused.
Riander could see Danhin didn't look happy, but he decided to ignore him.
"Thank you for bringing your smile to this gloomy castle," King Kariel said as they rose from their seats to leave the great hall.
"I have been told of Sir Streilan's passing," Riander answered, stepping through the great door and seeing with the corner of his eye that Danhin was following them. "Was he very important to you?"
Kariel looked mournful again. "He was my best friend. We grew up together. He'd been my personal bodyguard for many years, so it was a great loss for me."
"Were you also lovers?" Riander asked with an impish smile. None of the ladies present seemed to exist for the Sorcerer King, but his eyes often lingered on young men – when he wasn't staring at Riander himself.
Kariel hesitated, then smiled. "A long time ago. He'd grown too old to have any regular sex."
"Oh, so he died of old age?" Riander asked, puzzled.
"Yes." Kariel sighed. "I'm obviously more long-lived than any of my friends. That's why I'm happy I found you. Will you be my friend?"
"I think being friends among kings is not something approved of," Riander said, amused. "Unless there's some kind of wedding alliance between royal families, I mean."
"You don't have a sister and neither have I." Kariel's smile grew wider. "And you're driving your council crazy by not choosing a bride... Do you count your servant among your friends?"
"I don't have friends." Riander averted his eyes, trying to hide the sour note in his voice. "I'm king, I'm not supposed to have friends."
Kariel put one arm around his shoulder. "Exactly what I hate about this position," he whispered. "And that's probably why I won't stay king for the rest of my life!"
"You are not of royal blood by birth," Riander said. "You can give up this castle when you want. You weren't born here..."
Kariel stared into the distance, taking his arm off Riander's shoulder. "The castle I was born in is cursed," he said. "My mother took me away from there and people abandoned it. I couldn't convince anyone to go back to living there with that accursed prince sleeping in the tower, so I came here."
"Would that be Ker Eziel?" Riander asked. He'd heard of the sleeping prince that had cursed his father's castle at the time of his own grandfather.
Kariel focused on him and smiled again. "Yes, I was born in Ker Eziel, from the court magician, Morthi, and a lady-in-waiting of the queen."
"At the time of Prince Rithvik?"
"I was ten when he killed his father and was put to sleep by Morthi." Kariel nodded.
"That makes you..."
"Eighty or so."
Riander stared impressed at Kariel. He didn't look much older than him, but he understood now why Kariel's childhood friend had died of old age.
Kariel grinned, opening the door to the guest room to let him and Danhin in. "Sweet dreams, King Riander..."
Still puzzled by his host, Riander headed for the big canopied bed ignoring Danhin's worried chatter.
***
Nerian felt like a prince with clothes that finally fit him. Yeni hadn't found anything among the dwarves, so he'd walked all the way to the nearby underground Genn town – whatever that meant. Apparently Genn were other members of the Magical Races, like the Sila, and they were as tall as Humans.
The dwarf had come back with a cotton tunic, leather chest armor and breeches – and soft boots that wrapped Nerian's feet perfectly. His bruised feet felt immediately comfortable in them. Soss, the blue-eyed team's healer, had put some healing balm on his bruises, but the boots were better than the light bandages to keep his feet warm.
He'd dressed in the now brightly lit cave, marveling at the soft fabric on his skin.
"I will repay you by working hard for you," Nerian said, delighted, after parading his new outfit in front of the seven dwarves who had cheered him all the way.
"I wonder what a skinny guy like him can do for us," Xhael teased.
"We should teach him to defend himself!" Ikeli – or was it Losik? Nerian had trouble recognizing the bearded dwarves, but the twins were impossible to tell apart.
"As prince heir of Ker Garenn, he should be able to hold a sword," Alech said, thoughtful.
Nerian's shoulders sagged.
"I had started my lessons with the swordsmaster when Kariel came," he said gloomily. "Then he locked me in the tower and I could never learn anything else..."
"We're not much of swordsmen," Soss said. "Or better, we don't make many swords for Humans. I'll get you one from the Genn forge and if Belfi comes this way – and he often does – we'll ask him to teach you. In the meantime you can learn everything else!"
"The battle-axe!" Yeni shook his with a threatening frown.
"The crossbow!" Xhael waved his with a big grin.
"The war hammer!" Ikeli and Losik chorused.
"The mace!"
"The dagger!"
Alech raised his hand and made them quiet down while Nerian chuckled. At least now he knew the names of the strange weapons the dwarves held so dear.
"I'll gladly learn everything," he said as Alech came to stand close to him. He knelt so he wouldn't tower over the dwarven captain. "I'm one of your men, captain, teach me. I will gladly join your team and help you protect this entrance."
"We will teach you our combat techniques," Alech promised solemnly. "And we'll call Belfi to finish your education for more Human-like weapons when you know the basics. We'll have a sword made for you when you can handle the dagger."
"Welcome to the team!" Xhael rushed to shake his hand and ruffle his hair.
"Will I be able to go out and talk to birds?" Nerian asked.
"Of course, we do go out on patrol," Xhael replied.
"If you can pass us," Temai added, throwing away his weapons and standing with his feet wide and ready to block any attempt to reach the entrance tunnel.
Nerian grinned.
"Is this a test?" he asked.
"We'll have to assess where you're at before we start the training," Alech said with a half-smile. "See if you can gain the exit."
"One against seven?" Nerian asked, jumping to his feet, excited.
"One tall against seven short," Xhael answered cheerfully. "Who's going to win? The giant or...?"
With a high-pitched scream that wanted to be a war cry, Nerian attacked Temai who was right in the way. The exercise ended in a wrestling match like Nerian hadn't had in years. Breathless, he stayed
down with Temai and Yeni panting over him, and slowly started laughing.
The first lesson had left him a little bruised, but he didn't care. He hadn't had so much fun in years. The company was something he had deeply missed. The camaraderie of the team was warming.
"Thank you, guys," he whispered as his heartbeat slowly went back to normal.
"You lost, now you cook," Soss said.
Nerian sat as Temai and Yeni rolled off of him.
"I'm afraid you'll need to teach me that too," he said. "I was locked up in a tower with servants bringing me food..."
Temai groaned. "What a useless recruit!"
Xhael offered his hand. "Come, I'll show you a few tricks..."
Nerian smiled and followed him to the kitchen corner.
***
"Your majesty!"
Riander was jolted awake by Danhin's panicked voice and blunt shaking.
"What, there's a fire?" he asked sleepily, trying to focus on where he was. Oh, yes, Ker Daragon's guest room. Bed. Naked. Where was Kariel? Obviously gone, since Danhin was awake.
He aimed his attention at his servant's face. Danhin was disheveled, unshaven, eyes wide.
"What is it, Danhin?" Riander glared at the obvious distress of his faithful attendant.
"I slept... so hard! What happened to you?"
"Nothing, as you can see I'm perfectly fine. Why the panic?"
"Because... you're naked! And I've heard what they say about King Kariel! Did he visit you and put a spell on me so I wouldn't disturb you?"
Riander opened his mouth and closed it, pondering. He remembered the previous night, and Kariel's visit. When the host king had moved in closer, putting his hands under Riander's clothes, he had expressed the doubt that Danhin might wake up.
"He won't," Kariel had said with an impish smile.
He hadn't. Danhin had been spellbound while Kariel had his way with Riander. Who had enjoyed it. But... but... but.
"You succumbed!" Danhin hid his face in his hands, guessing the answer to his question from Riander's silence. "He seduced you! Oh Heavens, we should leave right now, go back to Ker Garenn and..."
"Shut up!" Riander snapped, jarred. "He didn't seduce me! We spent a pleasant night, that's true..."
"Your majesty, you're king! You need to get married and sire an heir, not spend the night with other men!" Danhin was voicing his council's concerns again.
Riander rolled his eyes and slowly got out of bed. "It's just one night. He hasn't emasculated me," he muttered, finding his own clothes clean on a bench and dressing quickly.
Danhin seemed to want to tear his hair out in desperation. "I knew coming here was a bad idea!" he complained.
"Will you shut up?" Riander was sick of him. "Nothing happened! Let's get some breakfast now!"
He hoped they'd find Kariel in the great hall, so he could at least say good-bye and thank him for the hospitality. And the night of sex. Such wild sex like he'd never had before. Made him wonder if indeed he'd rather take a male lover than get married. Or maybe he could get away with both. Marry a dumb lady and keep a male lover on the side.
King Kariel wasn't in the great hall. The chamberlain said he'd stormed out after hearing some bad news from the silly minstrel that had just been kicked out for upsetting his majesty.
"May I talk to that minstrel?" Riander asked, wondering what had upset Kariel so much.
"I believe he's leaving the castle right now." The chamberlain upturned his nose. "We don't like when someone upsets our king. There are always bad consequences."
"Please let me speak with him before he leaves," Riander insisted.
The Chamberlain sniffed but nodded, sending a page to get the minstrel. Riander sighed and sat at the table, ignoring Danhin's moans and groans.
"Your majesty, please, can we leave now?"
"No, we must see King Kariel first. Everything is fine, Danhin, stop fussing!"
"But your majesty..."
"Danhin!" Riander hated to be stern, but he had really had enough of his servant's fears. "We're not leaving yet!"
Danhin muttered something and crouched in his corner, glaring at everybody except his king.
The minstrel was a fair-haired, oddly-dressed young man who grinned as he sauntered to the dais where Riander was having his breakfast.
"So what's your name?" Riander asked him.
"You can call me Aedwyr."
"And what did you do to upset King Kariel first thing in the morning?"
"Ah, well, he doesn't take advice very well." The young man chuckled. "Not even from his old man." He picked a pastry and tasted it before continuing. "Mm, these are just like Rithvik's favorite... Kariel really recreated Ker Eziel here!"
"So it is true that he came from Ker Eziel," Riander said, thoughtful.
"Yes, people abandoned that castle for some reason."
"They were scared of the prince's presence?"
"That's silly, he's still fast asleep." Aedwyr shrugged. "Anyhow, I came to see how Kariel was doing and warned him to be careful with magic, since Humans are so afraid of it, but, like I said, he doesn't take advice very well. Can't blame him, though."
"Who are you, really?" Riander asked, narrowing his eyes. The minstrel sounded too wise and looked too young.
"I am not Human, if you really want to know." Aedwyr grinned. "I'm a shape-shifter."
"Kariel's father?"
Aedwyr nodded. "Estranged father, I think. But we don't really stick together as happy families like Humans do. I came to warn him that staying for too long in one place is quite dangerous for any of us magic users, but again, he didn't take it well. Maybe I should have stuck to him a little longer, but I preferred putting some distance between me and Ker Eziel. The spell I put on Rithvik took some toll."
So that was the sorcerer, wizard, whatever that had put a prince consorting with demons to sleep. Riander gaped at the young man by his side and wondered what he really looked like.
"Trust me, you don't want to know," Aedwyr whispered, leaning towards him, as if reading his mind. "Thanks for the pastries. I better go before my son goes on some mad rampage and kills everyone in this castle. Not that he's like Rithvik, but well... you never know with half-bloods!"
The minstrel winked and left the table, leaving Riander even more puzzled than he'd been. So there was some truth to Kariel's magic. Much like he himself had a faery godmother, Kariel had a magical father. Impressively daunting. But it still made him want to know more about Kariel, see him again, talk some more.
Riander finished his breakfast and went to the chamberlain again.
"Any idea of when the king will be available?" he asked.
"He is locked up in his chambers," the chamberlain apologized. "Would you like to wait for him in the rose garden? It is a pleasant day to be outside..."
Riander nodded regally. Danhin followed him, frowning but finally silent.
***
Nerian sat on the stone outside of the cave, careful not to activate the mechanism that opened the door, and huffed. He was sore from exercising with the dwarves and he was glad to get a breath of fresh air, while they bickered inside over who would cook today.
Songbirds chirped, hidden in the trees, while woodpeckers chipped away at the bark of the closest trees. It wasn't easy to spot any of them, so Nerian didn't try to interrupt their conversations, but simply sat there, breathing in the cool air of the forest and watching the leaves move around him.
He was tired but happy. The company was amazing, but after some time tiresome. He wasn't used to having people around all the time. Not anymore. Blame it on that bastard Kariel, I've become some kind of hermit! I'm glad Alech and his men are so patient with me!
Barely two days with them, and he already felt at home. A strange, windowless home, but home nevertheless. Warmer than his tower had ever been, as warm as his old room had been when his father was alive.
A huntsman emerged from the undergrowth, startling him. It wasn't Roddyn, the man who was suppo
sed to kill him. Nerian had never seen that handsome face and rose with his heart beating faster, his hand on the dagger the dwarves had given him.
"You're very quiet, sir, who are you?" he asked, trying to look more fierce than he felt. He knew he only had to touch the opening mechanism and seven warring dwarves would come and help him, dispatching the stranger in no time.
"I'm Riander of Ker Garenn, and I got lost while hunting in the forest," the man answered with a bow of the head. "And you are?"
"Nerian of Ker Daragon," Nerian answered, still wary. He knew that name, but had never met the neighboring royal family. "I believe your castle is that way." He pointed towards the forest to the right of Riander who had emerged in the clearing from the left, much like he had done, coming from Ker Daragon.
"Thank you." The king flashed a dazzling smile at him. "Would you like to come with me?"
"What?" Nerian's eyes widened in surprise.
"Would you like to come with me to Ker Garenn?" Riander repeated. "You'd be safe from that dreadful Sorcerer King..."
Nerian blinked, not sure of what to think. The voice sounded somehow familiar, but he couldn't place it. The man was handsome and he felt attracted to King Riander, but something was off. The brown eyes staring at him as if undressing him made him uneasy.
Riander stepped forward with a smile. He was slightly taller than Nerian, and had more muscles.
"I will protect you from evil, my little prince," the king whispered, taking Nerian in his arms. "If you let me, I'll make you happy..."
Nerian stammered incoherent words. Those lips that shone... and came closer... and kissed him... Nerian closed his eyes under his first kiss. Riander's tongue invaded his mouth. He shivered and passed out.
3. Red as Blood
The roses' perfume was starting to give Riander a headache. Danhin was finally quiet, allowing him to think. The garden was beautiful but dangerous, much like the owner of the castle.
I have been stupid, Riander thought, frowning at the memories of the day before. He'd been enchanted by Kariel's words and had probably drunk too much wine before retiring to bed, which had made him weak.
Yes, he had enjoyed the sex, but... now he felt uneasy. Had he liked the new experience too much? Was marrying whoever his council chose and keeping a male lover on the side really the solution to his problems?
Fairy Tales Revisited on Silvery Earth Page 3